1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, more particularly, to communication cable connectors for use with local area networks and/or telephones.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wiring systems for use in modular office systems, such as for use in modular wall partitions and furniture, typically are formed as modular systems with discrete electrical components which interconnect in a plurality of configurations. Such a wiring system may be used to provide electrical power and/or communication signals to a work space. The communication signals may correspond to voice (i.e., telephone) signals and/or data (i.e., local area network or computer modem) signals.
A wiring arrangement for providing communication signals in the form of telephone and/or data signals is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,276 (Marsh, et al.), which has been reassigned to the assignee of the present invention. Disclosed thereby is a wiring arrangement in which a male and female mating connector pair associated with each workstation includes breakout terminal pairs for an RJ-45 connector arranged in a stepped manner from one workstation to another. The RJ-45 connector is connected via a jumper cable to a corresponding access port in a face plate mounted to an exposed surface within the workstation. The access port may be, e.g., another RJ-45 connector in the face place. The stepped wiring arrangement allows the same terminal pairs of each associated mating connector to be connected with the RJ-45 connector. In particular, the RJ-45 connector includes 4 terminal pairs (i.e., eight terminals) which are respectively connected with terminals 1-8 of an associated mating connector. The four terminal pairs, i.e., terminals 1-8, are disposed side-by-side relative to each other within the mating connector.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,276 (Marsh, et al.), is clearly a step forward in the art, the present inventors have recognized that still further improvements can be made. To wit, industry standards require that crosstalk between adjacent wire pairs be maintained at or below a predetermined level. Each wire pair is typically provided as a twisted wire pair, with the twist functioning to substantially eliminate crosstalk with an adjacent wire pair. However, at the points where the wires of each wire pair are connected with the terminals of the mating connector, the wires must necessarily be untwisted to allow for attachment with the associated terminals. At the attachment points with the mating connector, the wires are no longer twisted and the probability for crosstalk to occur increases. Moreover, to reduce the physical size of the connector, the spacing between adjacent terminals is maintained as small as possible and typically is only a few thousandths of an inch. Since the four twisted wire pairs are sequentially attached to eight adjacent terminals in a row of terminals of the connector, and since the terminals are maintained as close as possible to each other to reduce the physical size of the mating connector, crosstalk between adjacent wire pairs may occur to some extent.
What is needed in the art is a communication system for voice and/or data signals which not only allows for the efficient breakout of terminal pairs for an RJ-45 connector associated with each mating connector pair of a workstation, but also effectively reduces crosstalk between adjacent terminals and twisted wire pairs.
The present invention provides a communication cable connector assembly having breakout terminal pairs which are positioned non-adjacent relative to each other to thereby minimize crosstalk between twisted wire pairs.
The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a communication cable connector assembly including a first connector, a second connector and a first breakout connector. The first connector has a plurality of first terminals. The second connector has a plurality of second terminals with a plurality of adjacent pairs of terminals. Each of the plurality of second terminals mate with a corresponding one of the plurality of first terminals. A plurality of the adjacent pairs of terminals define breakout terminal pairs which are non-adjacent relative to each other. A first breakout connector associated with the second connector has a plurality of third terminals associated with the breakout terminal pairs of the second connector.
The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a communication system includes a series of first connectors, a series of second connectors, a series of first breakout connectors, a first feed connector and a second feed connector. Each of the first connectors have a plurality of first terminals. Further, the series of first connectors includes an initial first connector. Each second connector is associated with a corresponding one of the first connectors, each second connector having a plurality of second terminals with a plurality of adjacent pairs of terminals. Each second terminal mates with a corresponding one of the plurality of first terminals, the plurality of second terminals including two longitudinally arranged and laterally adjacent rows of terminals. A plurality of the adjacent pairs of terminals define breakout terminal pairs, the breakout terminal pairs consisting of four breakout terminal pairs. Two of the breakout terminal pairs are in one of the two rows of terminals and a remaining two of the breakout terminal pairs are in another of the two rows of terminals. The series of second connectors includes a trailing second connector. Each of the first breakout connectors are associated with a corresponding one of the second connectors with each of these first breakout connectors having a plurality of third terminals associated with the breakout terminal pairs of the corresponding second connector. The first feed connector is associated with the initial first connector, the first feed connector having a plurality of feed terminals. The second feed connector is associated with the trailing second connector and has a plurality of feed terminals.
In yet a further embodiment, the invention comprises a communication system including a first series of connectors, a series of second connectors, a series of first breakout connectors and a first feed connector. Each of the first connectors have a plurality of first terminals, the series of first connectors including an initial first connector. Each second connector is associated with a corresponding one of the first connectors, each second connector having a plurality of adjacent pairs of terminals, each second terminal mating with a corresponding one of the plurality of first terminals. The plurality of second terminals include two longitudinally arranged and laterally adjacent rows of terminals. A plurality of the adjacent pairs of terminals define breakout terminal pairs, the breakout terminal pairs consisting of four breakout terminal pairs. Two of the breakout terminal pairs are in one of two rows of terminals and a remaining two the breakout terminal pairs are in another of the two rows of terminals. Each of the first breakout connectors are associated with a corresponding one of the second connectors, each first breakout connector having a plurality of third terminals associated with the breakout terminal pairs of the corresponding second connector. The first feed connector is associated with the initial first connector. The first feed connector is a harmonica connector, the harmonica connector including a plurality of second breakout connectors.
An advantage of the present invention is that crosstalk between twisted wire pairs in the communication system is minimized.
Another advantage is that the connectors are wired with a stepped pinout sequence which provides predetermined locations for the breakout terminal pairs within the mating connector.
Another advantage is that a voice/data feed can be supplied at each end of the communication system, taking advantage of the fact that, after breakouts in the-stepping sequence, the corresponding terminals and connections become blank, thereby making it feasible to transmit voice/data signals in both directions of the communication system.